Cruel & Beautiful Read online

“Not really. I went out with Jilly Rivers probably the most, but other than that, just, you know.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “What about you, Cate?”

  I shake my head. “None for me. I was the one that had all the guy friends. But I didn’t go out with any of them. I was too busy with school, too.”

  He gives me a quick glance and then his eyes are back on the road. “That’s very hard for me to believe. I have this vivid image of dozens of hormone driven boys knocking your door down, trying to get to you.”

  “That’s a good one, but far from the truth.”

  About this time, we pull into his parents’ driveway. “Oh, no. Aunt Edna beat us here. I was hoping we’d get here first.”

  His descriptions of her have me so intrigued, I can’t wait to meet this woman. “I swear Cate, don’t be shocked or surprised by anything that comes out of the woman’s mouth.”

  “Drew, look who you’re talking to. I had to warn my dad not to bring up his hemorrhoids to you and my sister drools in your presence, not to mention my mother’s eyelash batting. I live in the house of loons.”

  “Oh wait. You haven’t seen loony yet.”

  And he’s right. Aunt Edna sits in a chair and I do a double take at what she wears. It takes me awhile to figure it out, but I think she’s taken Christmas place mats and sewn them together to create a vest. Each one is depicts different scene, so she’s quite the holiday image. She also wears a baseball hat encrusted in red and green sequins and other sparkly things. Under the hat her hair pokes out in various curls here and there, creating the old I just stuck my finger in an electrical outlet look. Red pants and black boots, similar to what Santa Claus would wear, complete her ensemble. No doubt, Aunt Edna certainly has the Christmas spirit. The only things missing are ornaments and lights. I’m truly speechless.

  Drew and I have decided to exchange gifts privately, but I’ve brought a gift for his parents. It’s nothing fancy, but a lovely picture frame. Those are something everyone can use, so after discussing it with Drew, we both decided to give the same thing to each of our families.

  During the exchange, they are very gracious when they open it. Then Letty opens Aunt Edna’s gift to her, and Drew pinches my thigh. “Check it out.”

  Inside the box is something that may resemble a purse. I’m not sure. It looks like it might have been a Clorox bottle at one time, but it was cut and holes were punched into it, and then red and green yarn was woven into it to create the purse effect. It’s so hideous, I have to cover my mouth to prevent the snort that threatens to explode out of me.

  Drew leans over and whispers in my ear, “What the actual fuck is that?”

  That’s my undoing. I bend in half and try to cover up my snort with a cough.

  “Cate? Are you all right?” Drew asks.

  He damn sure knows what’s wrong with me. He grabs me and hauls me out of there to the kitchen where I proceed to die laughing.

  “Oh my god! That was the worst she’s ever given, I swear,” he says.

  A response isn’t possible as I gasp for air. When I’m capable of pulling air into my lungs, I say, “I’ve never. That was awful. She reminds me of Aunt Bethany in the movie Christmas Vacation. Are you sure she doesn’t have a cat wrapped up in a box somewhere?”

  He starts to laugh again and says, “It wouldn’t surprise me. Maybe I should check the house. Didn’t I warn you? A new kind of crazy, right?”

  “True, but don’t ever whisper again. That’s when I lost it.”

  We rejoin the family, me with a glass of water in hand. Drew’s parents eye us as his mom winks. We share one of those looks and continue with the opening of the gifts. Ray’s gift isn’t quite as bad. Aunt Edna gives him one of those gigantic inflatable block pillows you use for flying. You’re supposed to put it on your lap and rest your head on it during the flight. The only problem is you look like an absolute dork if you do.

  Now it’s Drew’s turn. He unwraps his box and inside is a huge pair of Playtex yellow cleaning gloves. He’s clueless until Aunt Edna pipes in.

  “I heard how important it is for you doctors to keep your hands clean so I thought these would come in handy for you when you examine your patients.”

  This time, I shake as I hold my laughter inside. I don’t dare look at Drew as he thanks his aunt, but I can tell how his voice squeaks, he’s about to lose it. Just when I think we’re done, I look to see a box under my nose.

  “And here’s one for you, dear,” Aunt Edna says, as she wobbles back to her seat.

  Shit!

  “Why thank you! But you didn’t have to.”

  “Aw, just open it.”

  So I do and inside is a hand knitted scarf by what looks like a kindergartener. It’s the thought that counts, Cate. Unfortunately, the colors are horrific. Red, green, purple, orange, rust, a blend of clashing shades, it pains my eyes to look at it.

  “Oh, it’s so … lovely. Thank you so much for thinking of me.”

  “Why, you’re welcome.”

  I lay the thing on my lap and hear Drew snicker, so I don’t dare look at him. But as I’m staring at the scarf, I notice something else. It’s literally covered in cat hair. And I mean layered in it. Now I really want to laugh. But I can’t. So I put the thing back in the box and fold my hands in my lap.

  “Well, I think it’s time for some holiday cheer,” Ray announces.

  “I’ll drink to that,” Aunt Edna declares, and the celebration begins.

  Others begin to arrive, cousins and aunts and uncles, and I lose track. By the time all are present, there are a total of twenty-four here. Everyone brings a covered dish, as is the southern tradition, and Letty handles all the meat dishes and desserts, along with the bar items. It’s quite an affair.

  When the dinner is over and the relatives have gone, Jenna and her brother, Ben, show up. I haven’t seen Ben since the party where Drew first laid eyes on me.

  Ben man-hugs Drew and says, “Glad you two hit it off so well.”

  “Like there was ever any doubt?” Drew asks.

  “You were so damn persistent about it. Did he tell you, Cate?”

  “Yeah, he did. So did Jenna.”

  “He drove me crazy for a while. I didn’t know what I was gonna do if you hadn’t gone out with him.”

  “We don’t have to worry about that now, do we?” Drew asks, pulling me to his side.

  I glance up to see Drew looking down at me, grinning.

  “We certainly don’t,” Ben says. “And I’m happy to say you two look perfect together.”

  That seems odd coming from Ben. I wonder if Jenna told him to say that, but when I look at her, she’s staring at Ben looking like she just swallowed a glassful of vinegar.

  “Ben Rhoades, when have you ever said anything like that to anyone?” Jenna asks.

  “Probably never. I’m a dick when it comes to this sort of thing. But Drew is my best friend and I happen to know how he feels about Cate. I’m happy he found her and that she makes him happy and it’s about damn time.”

  I look on as Drew says, “Thanks, dude. That means a lot to me.”

  “I would’ve told you over the phone, but I knew I was gonna see you here so I decided to wait. And besides, I wanted to actually see you before I said it. I’ve known Cate almost as long as I’ve known you, so I have to say,” and he does this funny thing with his hand that I think is supposed to imitate a religious blessing, “I bless this relationship.”

  Drew tosses an empty plastic cup at him. “You’re off the ledge, dude.”

  “Nah, I’m trying to be serious here. I am glad you two are together. And bro, Cate here is so much better than Rebecca.”

  “Fuck. Did you have to spoil the night by bringing that up?”

  That surprises even me. Rebecca is Drew’s old girlfriend, the one that broke his heart. Jenna told me all about her and that Ben hated her. I look at Jenna and she’s trying to mask her grin. What’s so funny about that? I think it’s kind of tast
eless. Then I look at Drew and a slow grin spreads across his face.

  “Okay, I’m completely off the trail here, lost in the woods,” I say.

  Drew throws his arm over my shoulders. “Ben always hated Rebecca. I defended her constantly, but then when I figured out he was right, I was … well you know the story. I told you at the beginning when we started dating. What I find funny here is I never thought I’d wave the whole Rebecca thing away, and now, here I am with you, and I could totally give a shit about her. That’s why I’m smiling and I figure it’s why they are too. She was always a touchy subject around me, but not anymore.”

  I beam at his words. Drew always knows exactly what to say to make me smile. Our conversation moves to how long Drew is in town to how long I’ll be in Indy, to when we all can get together again. Soon they depart and it’s only Drew and me. I want to curl up next to him somewhere, but it’s getting late and I know I need to be getting home soon.

  “Yeah, I know,” he says, reading my mind. “Weren’t we going to exchange gifts tonight?”

  “Yeah. Do you want to do it now?”

  “Hell yeah. But I have to go to my room. You wanna come?”

  “Is this the deal where you tell your parents you have to show me something?”

  “You bet it is.”

  “Then I’m in.”

  There’s a bag I brought in and I snag it before we run up the stairs and go into his room. He shuts the door behind us. His hands slide under my skirt, and glide along my thighs as he follows it up to my unders.

  “Cate, I need you. I’ve been thinking about this constantly.”

  “What if someone hears? I don’t think I can.” I bite my lip, worrying, as anxiety gnaws at me.

  “I know. We can’t. We’ll have to live frustrated for a while and I hate this.”

  “So do I. Maybe we can do car sex again?”

  “Yeah, but tonight, I want to give you your gift.” He walks to his closet and comes out with a ginormous gift bag. “Merry Christmas, babe. I love you.”

  “I love you, too, and thank you.”

  “Open it.”

  I spread the top of the bag apart and inside there are several things. First, I see a big box, so I pull it out, unwrap it, and laugh. “Oh my goodness! Will you help me?”

  “All the way.”

  “Good, because if I put these skates on, I’m sure to bust my ass like crazy.”

  “Cate, I’ll always catch you if you fall.” His blue eyes catch mine and I know he’s not talking about that kind of falling.

  “Drew, I won’t let you fall either. We’re in this together, you know.”

  He leans in and kisses me. “There’s more in there.”

  My hands dig down, and I pull out another fairly large box. I unwrap the most luxurious bathrobe known to man. On one side is soft terry and on the other side is silk. “Oh my, this is amazing. I love it.”

  “You do? I noticed you didn’t have one.”

  “I do now and I absolutely love it. It’s perfect! Thank you!” I lean over and kiss him.

  “One more and you’re done.”

  I fumble in the bottom and find the last box. When I pull it up, I know it’s jewelry. I give him the I can’t believe you did this face. He shrugs. “Just open it,” he says.

  When I do, I fall in love all over again. It’s an exquisite necklace, very delicate gold filigree surrounding a center diamond. The design is simple yet elegant and I couldn’t love it any more than I do.

  “Cate, don’t cry. It’s only a necklace.”

  My fingers fly to my cheeks, because I hadn’t even realized tears were falling. “Now that’s a surprise,” I say, brushing them away.

  “The necklace or the tears?”

  “Both, I guess. Drew, this is gorgeous. I love it.”

  “Let me put it on you.” He takes it out of the box and puts it around my neck. “Perfect,” he says. Then he pulls me to my feet and walks me to a mirror. “See?”

  It’s beautiful. “I’ve never owned anything like this. It’s so pretty. Thank you for everything.” And I kiss him. “Now for yours.”

  I hand him a prettily wrapped box. I hope he likes it. It’s not as extravagant as what he gave me, but everyone I spoke with told me to go with it. My fingers are crossed.

  He unwraps it and I watch his expression change from perplexed to pure excitement and joy.

  “You didn’t? You scored Blackhawk tickets?”

  “I did. For the week I’ll be with you.”

  He stands and pulls me off my feet, twirling me around. And then he stops, puts me down, and rubs his face.

  “Stop worrying. You don’t have call that night. I got it all cleared and you’re off.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. Look on your computer and check the schedule if you don’t believe me. You’re good. We’re going. And the rest of your present includes, if you didn’t read it …”

  “I did. A hotel and dinner that night. Cate, it’s too much for you.”

  This is the tricky part. I screw up my face and say, “I know. I was gonna go halvers with you.”

  “That’s perfect.”

  “But Drew, I feel terrible because you got me so much and I was only able to get you …”

  “Stop that train of thought. I love your idea and the Blackhawk tickets are perfect. It’s the best gift ever. Now, kiss me.”

  Right before I do, I say, “Merry Christmas.”

  THE WEEK AT MY PARENTS without Drew feels more like a month. Without him here as a buffer, my mom is relentless with her questions. How long have you dated? How serious are you two? I know you’re in love, but are you going to get married? You have to finish college. Don’t think about dropping out. Seriously, Mom? Like I would actually drop out of college and forego my degrees after all this hard work. What does she think I am—a moron?

  My flight back to Indy finally lands and Drew waits by the luggage claim. To say I throw myself at him is a gross understatement. I think I hear one or two “Get a room” comments. And it’s true. We practically make out while we wait for my bag to arrive. Once it does, we smile at the onlookers, and Drew says in a booming voice, “Let’s get a room.” I can’t help but giggle.

  In the car, we can’t keep our hands to ourselves.

  “This was the never ending week,” I say.

  “Yeah?”

  “I had Mom, Dad, and Shannon on my back constantly. Eric was the only one who was fun because we played video games together. Then I crazy missed you. You know that part, though.”

  His hand makes its way up to the button and zipper of my jeans and his fingers find their way inside. “Please don’t start something you can’t finish.”

  “What makes you think I can’t finish?” he asks, as he slides his finger around me.

  “I can’t talk while you do that.” My head drops back against the seat and I mewl when his finger circles my clit and slides inside of me.

  “Wow, are you ever wet. Were you thinking about this on the plane?”

  “Might have been. Just don’t stop because I’m close already.” I hear him chuckle.

  Then he says, “Touch me, Cate.” My hand reaches over the console and I touch him. His erection is not hard to miss.

  “Looks like you’ve been thinking of this, too.” He hits a spot that’s perfect, then intensifies his motion. “Don’t stop. Right there. I’m going to come.”

  And about then, I feel my orgasm race along my spine, down into my arches of my feet, back up my legs and center in my core until it spreads back up my spine and finally settles down. The tiny muscles inside of me stop clenching Drew’s fingers and I sigh.

  “That was nice to hear,” he says.

  “Yeah?”

  “Uh huh.”

  Then I reach across and unzip his pants. “Promise you won’t get in a wreck?”

  He offers me a shaky laugh. “I’ll do my best.”

  I lower my mouth around his cock and proceed to suck him o
ff. The best thing about giving Drew head is the sounds he makes. They are the biggest turn on ever. Oh, that, and the way he threads his hands in my hair. And the way he feels against my tongue. Like velvet wrapped around steel.

  “I’m going to come.”

  I keep sucking and then I squeeze his balls and his orgasm hits him. The groan he releases is enough to make me moan. When I lift my head, he apologizes for shooting off in my mouth and I laugh.

  “That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. I loved it. I love sucking your cock. It’s super sexy.”

  “It’s sexy to watch, but I was afraid if I did, we’d wreck.”

  I zip him back up and say, “Then I’m glad you didn’t.”

  We spend New Year’s Eve quietly at home, catching up on what went on in Charleston after he left. And of course, we do other things, too. New Year’s Day is celebrated by eating the traditional southern meal of ham and collards, and I make homemade macaroni and cheese. We eat way too much and fall asleep on the couch, watching football. It’s Drew’s choice, but I don’t mind.

  Mid-week, we’re off to Chicago to the Blackhawks game. Drew is so excited I have to drive. All the way there, he spouts off Blackhawk stats and who the greatest players are. I’m sure I’ll never remember any of this.

  He has his GPS set and I’m glad for it because I’ve never driven in Chicago before. The traffic isn’t too bad, as far as big cities go. It may be because we left at noon to check into the hotel early and spend a little time in the city. In any case, Drew doesn’t pay a whole lot of attention, because his focus is all on hockey now.

  When I pull up to the hotel, he’s surprised that we’ve stopped. “We’re here,” I announce. The expression on his face is so comical, I immediately start laughing. “What were you expecting? Mars?”

  “No, but it went by so fast.”

  He looks like such a little boy; I ruffle his hair and shake my head. “Let’s go check in, hockey boy.”

  He wears a goofy grin and I smile. His eyes are bright with excitement and he looks like he wants to leap ahead of me. “Go on and run ahead if you want.”

  “I can’t help it.”

  “Hey, this is your day, your gift. Go for it.” And I’m more than pleased to see how much fun he’s having.